Sky Queen
by Buggiedude2340
Summary: The Great War has ended, and Alek and Deryn, now under Dr. Nora Barlow of the London Zoological Society are helping to evaluate an only somewhat new breed of beasties: a colossal cruise-liner fabrication aptly named the Sky Queen.
1. A New Airship

Deryn:

The _Sky Queen_ was fantastic. She must have spanned more than five-hundred yards in length, far larger than the _Leviathan_. However, Deryn still didn't see the point in this excursion. Yes, Dr. Barlow had mentioned the ship, but the purposes of the investigation were still fuzzy.

Alek stood beside her, also gaping at the gigantic airship before them. It _was_ a beauty. The _Sky Queen_'s gondola had windows everywhere, and even balconies that ejected from the upper-class rooms on board. The body of the ship was bright white, very unlike the dark color of the first ship Deryn had served on. But unfortunately, she wasn't here to tie knots and climb on the spine.

A few members of the _Sky Queen_'s crew lingered near the boarding ladder. They were constantly checking the many crates that surrounded them, readying their ship for a long journey. The _Sky Queen_ was a cruiser, the first of her kind, meant to take passengers across the seas in the comfort of an airship. The crew was smaller than any Service airships and generally younger as well. Many boys who seemed too young to be loitering about topside stood about with large, unusually shaped briefcases.

Dr. Barlow turned to Alek and Deryn as a tall man in uniform began walking towards them. "I suppose I should inform the two of you of our jobs here aboard the _Sky Queen_ before Captain Smith begins his speeches, shouldn't I?"

Both Deryn and Alek nodded, wondering exactly why they hadn't been told beforehand. Bovril and Dr. Barlow's loris were sitting atop the group's luggage, muttering.

"We are here to inspect the _Sky Queen_ and make sure that the ship is running as efficiently as possible. Captain Smith wants to know if his ship needs a larger crew or more allotted weight for ballast, before picking up most of his passengers in America," the lady boffin explained.

Her assistants nodded yet again, and Deryn blurted out a question that both shared. "You mean we're riding the _Sky Queen_ across the Atlantic before the passengers come aboard?" She had been about to press on and point out that the idea was full of clart, but thought better of it.

The boffin gave Deryn a cold look and confirmed the fact, but continued on, "However, there will be several reporters with us. Your job, Deryn, Alek, is to help the crew to do their best, and make sure that they are as competent and disciplined as military men. Although considering your predicaments, there isn't much you can say on the military part."

That was rubbish, Deryn thought. She'd been a midshipman on the most famous ship in the Service! Alek may not have known about discipline, but she did.

"Also, Deryn" Dr. Barlow went on, "You will be Dylan Sharp again while on this ship."

"Yes Ma'am," she said, relieved. She doubted the crew would take a girl bossing them around too well.

Captain Smith finally reached their party and he began a welcome speech that Deryn wished she could skip. Deryn stopped listening to the captain and glanced about her, knowing full well how impolite she was acting. She noticed Alek sending grimaces at her, trying to remind her of her manners. Of course _prince_ Alek would know about manners.

One of the boys with the odd briefcases jogged to the welcoming party. He politely interrupted Captain Smith's speech and began asking when he could lead the guests around. The boy stole peeks at Deryn and Alek, giving them sympathetic looks.

"Oh, I suppose," Captain Smith replied, defeated by his own crew member.

"Thanks, Sir!" the boy said before beckoning Deryn and Alek to follow him. The two assistants willingly obliged, glad to be free from the formalities.

"I'm going to assume you two are Mr. Dylan Sharp and Mr. Aleksandar… Hohenberg?" he asked, not even looking at them. "I'm Fredrick Silas. Me and some of the other boys is in Mr. Duke Ellington's Swing band here aboard the _Sky Queen_. 'Course, all of us have our respective other positions, but that 'aint to important is it?" He spun around and held out two skinny hands. He was dark-skinned, clearly of African American heritage. Dr. Barlow had said that many poor African Americans couldn't get descent work unless it was on a British ship, and being a multi-talented ship mate couldn't hurt.

Alek nodded and took Fredrick's hand, "It certainly is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Silas."

Deryn did the same, but noticed that Fredrick's hands weren't quite as thick as any normal boys', and the quizzical glance the boy had seemed to match the one Deryn had on her own face. Alek was completely oblivious to the suspicion between Deryn and Fredrick, which Deryn was glad for. She couldn't have Alek blurting out her gender now of all times. Germany was still reeling, looking for a way to get revenge, and they still had spies everywhere. Besides, there were going to be reporters around. Propaganda was one thing Deryn couldn't afford to have surrounding her.

Fredrick stopped by the rest of the boys and yelled out to them, "We're gonna start using the lift, lazy-bones! So get your instruments on before they cut off our baggage loading!"

The boy grabbed two of the briefcases, letting Deryn figure out that there were musical instruments inside those cases. She wondered if any of the band members would be willing to teach her a thing or two about music. It had always fascinated her.

Beckoning Alek to come with her, Deryn raced through the piles of whatnot. "Excuse me Fredrick," she said, "Did you need help with anything?"

Fredrick scrunched up his face and hesitated before speaking, clearly in thought. Then he asked Alek and Deryn a favor with his strange accent. "Could you two carry a few of our extra instruments? There's two trombones, a Horn, though I don't know why, and a baritone-oh, no not that one-a tenor saxophone that I'd like you to bring up."

Deryn and Alek had no time to ask what was what before the lift yanked upwards, dragging Fredrick and his cases with him. The two stood about awkwardly, not knowing what they were supposed to do. But Deryn, having once been a proper crewmember, shook herself out of her daze and asked a nearby boy which instruments were which.

"Oh, Fredrick must've asked you to help," the boy said chuckling. He began pointing out different cases, the horn being the easiest to distinguish. Why did the instruments all have to look so barking alike? "In any case, I'm Count Basie," he said, still chuckling. His hand was outstretched for a handshake, so Deryn took it.

Deryn heard Alek muttering under his breath, "_Count_ Basie?" he asked.

Cleary the boy had heard it too, because he replied with a swift, "naw, man, that's jus' my stage name."

Deryn only laughed and clapped Alek on the back, half dragging him to the four instruments Mr. Basie had asked them to carry.

The instruments were barking heavy, and while Fredrick had retorted by saying the Baritone Sax only weighed in at twenty pounds, Deryn still reckoned that with the twenty some they were bringing on board, it didn't leave much room for the boys' personal luggage.

As they finished loading everything but the crew onto the ship, Dr. Barlow walked toward the lift. Count Volger had materialized from who-knows-where, and promptly shuddered upon looking at the _Sky Queen_ again. He cursed under his breath, in Clanker-talk of course.

Of course that bum-rag Count Volger wouldn't like the _Sky Queen_. She was a fab, and while Volger hadn't enjoyed the immensity of the _Leviathan_, Deryn knew the man would appreciate the cruise liner even less.

**Note: Count Basie and Duke Ellington really were in a band together, but not during the late 1910s. Fredrick Silas is a character of my own creation and probably never exsisted. The Sky Queen bears no historical resemblance to the Titanic and I assure you she will not crash during the events of the story. The Captain Smith mentioned is not the captain from the Titanic, seeing as she crashed during 1912, while my fanfiction takes place in 1915 or 1916.**

**Reviews would be much appreciated-Thank you**


	2. Mystery Cargo

Alek:

He knew exactly how much of a _dummkopf_ he'd looked like, gaping at the enormity of the _Sky Queen_, then not knowing which case held which musical instrument. But as long as Deryn's amazement was mutual, he wasn't as inclined to feel embarrassed. He'd insulted one of the musician's stage names, and generally acted, in Deryn's terms, like a ninny.

But once they were on board, Alek's diplomatic skills found their way back, and the mass of reporters surrounding him and his friend were gone in no time. Of course, Fredrick, one of the musicians, hadn't left. He loitered about, smirking before offering to show Alek and Deryn to their rooms.

"The two of you'll be sleeping in the same room as the band. We got two extra bunks for ya'll, so make yourselves comfortable," Fredrick explained, opening the door to a fairly clean room bordered on both sides by bunked beds. Judging by the hasty way luggage was stuffed under bottom bunks and thrown to the back of the room, the band had been here for a while already, but had done a quick cleaning before their guests arrived.

Alek didn't bother to check his bunk, and neither did Deryn, but they did pause for a moment, awkwardly surveying the room before a grumble erupted from someone's stomach. It was Deryn, of course.

Immediately, Fredrick and Alek's eyes turned to Deryn, and Alek let himself laugh inside. He always knew whose stomach was growling because Deryn was the only one whose thoughts turned so easily to food. He let himself smile sympathetically. He and Deryn had been fetching Dr. Barlow's bags and running errands all morning, and neither had eaten much.

While Alek was feeling sympathy for Deryn, Fredrick had begun exiting the room, pausing to wait for the two new dormers in the room. "If ya'll are hungry, I can probably cook up a little something. The boys haven't eaten yet either, and the cook's not getting on 'till the rest of the housing crew does."

Deryn's stomach rumbled again, making Alek feel guilty about doubting Fredrick's cooking skills. He'd even been about to turn the offer down, afraid of what might be served.

Fredrick grinned and patted Alek on the back, "I know you're in doubt, Sir, but I learned from a Chinaman! I can guarantee edibility."

Unsure of how to take that, Alek only nodded and followed his more eager friend to the kitchen.

As promised, Fredrick was a wonderful cook, and while Alek had been less than excited about eating the tossed-together rice, meat, and vegetables the other boys were eating, once he tasted it, he was gobbling it down along with everyone else. Deryn, naturally, had dived right in, unafraid of anything her food might hold. It was a shame that there wasn't any more of the seasoned rice to eat.

After praising Fredrick on his cooking skills, Deryn asked the boy to teach her a bit of music. She said she'd always been fascinated by such things, but had never had an opportunity to learn. Alek wasn't quite as wary of Fredrick as before, but he noticed himself feeling sour whenever Deryn asked something of the American.

"Sure can," Fredrick replied, "What're ya'll interested in?" Alek only realized after a moment of silence that Fredrick was asking him as well. The idea of learning to play an instrument other than violin seemed inviting, but he'd had little patience for the strings and doubted learning a different one would be any easier.

Deryn finished thinking and immediately asked about an instrument, "How about that funny shaped one?" she suggested.

Fredrick tilted his head, probably wondering what Deryn meant. Alek found his friend's choice of words amusing; weren't all musical instruments shaped funny?

"I'm sure the instrument has a name, Dylan," Alek reminded her, pausing slightly before remembering to call her Dylan. He hoped Fredrick didn't notice, but it appeared the boy did.

"I'll teach you any brass instrument you're interested in, but we've got work to do loading the passengers and housing workers. They start in ten minutes and I have a few more lifts to boot up. Why don't you two help and I can show you the instruments when we're done loading luggage?"

Deryn agreed enthusiastically, and Alek followed suit, ready to put the muscle he'd earned working for the zoological society to use.

There was quite a diverse load of bags to be placed on the _Sky Queen_. The crates held anything from furniture and moving picture projectors to eggs filled with beasties, ready to hatch in America. It was amazing that an aerostatic ship could carry such a load. But he supposed that the ropes holding the ship in its place in the harbor had been pulled quite tight. It wasn't like he'd gotten a good look at them though.

One particular crate caught Alek's eye. A giant beastie egg sat in a crate, surrounded by stuffing. It was impossible to walk near the box without feeling his legs burn off, and the jacket he was wearing didn't help. Bovril, who hadn't said much that day because it'd mostly been soaking up new accents and idioms, finally piped up when they caught sight of the egg.

"Beastie!" it murmured excitedly.

"Aye," Deryn mumbled, standing beside Alek as they watched the crate rise from the docks.

Fredrick sauntered toward them and whistled the moment he saw the egg, "Did your high-up friend bring this? I heard she's a fabricator."

If Dr. Barlow had, in fact, ordered this on board, Alek hadn't heard it, and from Deryn's reaction, she hadn't either. While he did want to know the egg's purpose, Deryn's confusion on the subject made him feel less like a _Dummkopf_.

A few reporters, Mr. Malone included were filing into the hold, led by none other than Dr. Barlow herself. She must have known something about the strange egg, and in her investigation had been followed by the mobs. She called out to Alek and Deryn, "Boys," she said, beckoning them over, "I do hope you noticed the beastie that's coming onboard the _Sky Queen_. Do help the other crew members move the cargo about to even out the weight."

The boffin whispered a bit more, asking for their presence in her stateroom as soon as the work was done. With that, she turned on her heels and ordered the reporters to leave the hold. Tazza followed eagerly, tongue hanging from the heat of the hold.

**I believe I forgot to put in a disclaimer on the first chapter: Sorry about that. I am neither in ownership of the Leviathan characters and ideas, nor am I the author of the original series. However, Fredrick Silas is a character of my own creation.**

**Note: This chapter is totally lacking on the history side. It's depressing really.**


End file.
